Friday, 16 June 2006LONDON, June 16 (IranMania) - According to an AFP report, Japan called on Iran to "act responsibly" after the Islamic republic's president used a Central Asian forum in Shanghai to warn against "domineering powers."
"We want Iran to remove the concerns expressed by the international community and to act responsibly," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, the Japanese government spokesman.
Japan is a close US ally but has also been a major investor in Iran's energy sector, as Asia's largest economy is heavily dependent on Middle Eastern oil.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who insists Iran has the right to nuclear technology, attended a meet of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization which includes China, Russia and four Central Asian republics.
The firebrand populist said the organization, in which Iran has observer status, "can throw off the threats of domineering powers to use their force against and interfere in the affairs of other states."
Japan has sour relations with China, which last year blocked Tokyo's bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council saying that it has not atoned for its aggression in the 20th century.
Abe said Japan hoped the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will "maintain the transparency of its activities and make constructive contributions to the region's stability."
Friday, June 16, 2006 - T®2005 IranMania.com
|
Friday, 16 June 2006
Iran
|
|
